The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-08
THE HOME MISSION WORKERS
Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the
Central Congregational Association.
The Good Work That Has Been Done by the
Descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers
The Denominations Growth.

This evening at Mayhower Church, begins the
mi-annual meeting of the Central Congrega-
tional Association, the medium of home mission
work of the Congregational Churches of central
Indiana. There three associations in this
State, the Northern the Central and the South
ern. These three form State association which
meets once every year. and the various State as
sociations join in national council triennially.
Ministers in good standing within the district,
and the churches, represented by delegates, con-
stitute the membership of the local associations.
In the present session each church is represented
by two delegates.
The only business to be tranacted this even
ing is the election of temporary scribe and the
nominating committee. The organization will
be perfected tomorrow morning. The princi-
pal feature of the evening viii be the discourse
by Rev. Geo. B. Stafford, d. d. of Elkhart,
formerly pastor of the College-street Church, of
Burlington, Vt, who will consider the merits
and orthodoxy of Congregationalism. The
session will continue through Thursday, closing
with the administration of holy communion
Thursday evening.
The Congregationalists of this country fix
their Origin with the Pilgrim fathers, who con-
stituted duly organized Congregational Church
when they landed on Plymouth Rock in 1920.
They consider their system as largely the source
of the individual independence which worked
out the fundamental principles of free govern
ment in America At the close of the first cent
ury of their establishment here they
numbered about 700 churches. In this
era the educational institutions of Harv-
ard, Yale and Dartmouth were founded.
The next hundred yeaIs were given to the con-
ficts of theological thought. Among the great
metaphysicians were Jonathan Edwards, and
after him Hopkins Be1lamy, the younger Ed
wards, Timothy Dwight, Emmons, and Tay-
lor and Lyman Beecher, and, in later times,
Finney and Park. They framed what is popu-
larry called the New England, or New School
Theology, as rational basis for Christian actlv-
ity. To them the Westminster Confession was
not the grave of the human mind. During this
era there was little church extension of
Congregationalsm, as the vigorous IN
tellectual life of the New England Church
was given to the development of re
ligious thought, with little attention to polity
Early in this century the New England churches
began organizing the union societies asking the
cooperation of all Christians. Thus the modern
era of philanthropy and work for humanity was
begun. Prelatical and presbyterial churches
and exclusive doctrinal sects have. however, pre-
ferred to their own church boards for work
of a churchly character rather than the Amer
lean societies. Within the last few years the
New England Church has been rapidly extended
in the West, and it is fast assuming the rank OF
the land.
The churches now number 4,277, with 4, 900
ministers, church membership of 436, 3I9, with
245. 068 families and 52l, 983 children in Sunday
schools. The yearly benevolence for missions
reached, in 1888, the high-water mark-not of
million-but of 81, 63S, GIG 80. The home ex.
penditures in 1885 were 81, SCI, 727.81. In 1886
the number of church organizations re-
ported was 1877.
The strictly Congregational benevolent soci-
cites are the American Board of Collection for
he Ann Mission
airy Society, and the American Missionary Asso-
citation. The American Board of Collection for
Foreign Missions collected in 1867. $3.50 9o4. Oh,
which represents the gifts of Congregationalists
to the heather world for the year. There are
457 American laborers under commission, and
2,O37 helpers. The American Home Missionary
Society's receipts in 1867 were, in cash. S507,-
$685. TO- There were employed IN new settle
ments 1,57l missionaries, including 136 who
preached in foreign tongues. The American
Missionary Association, which works among
negroes, Indians and Chinese, sustains colleges
and schools in great number in the
South the most prominent of which
are Hampton, Va, Agricultural College, Fisk
University, Nashville, Tenn, Howard University,
supports an army of $50 northern teachers in the
South and nearly one-half of the negro teachers
in the Is, 600 colored common SCHOOLS were edu-
Gated in the schools of the American Missionary
Association. The president ex-Gov w 3.
Washburn, who died recently at Springfield,
leaves the association 800 000 and like amount
to the a. b. G.. T. NJ. and the A. H. NJ. S. Other
societies are the American Congregational Union.
which aids church erection; the Congregational
Sunday-school Publishing Society, which is fifty
ton Society. which has received and expended
over 81 900, 900 for student and college aid, and
last the New West Education Commission,
which works among the Mormons and the West